The walled gates of Redcliffe town could not have come any sooner. Baekhyun scouted them from a distance before the rest of the party caught up, and when they finally caught sight of the gleaming piece of rock wall, almost everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Jongdae even looked vaguely happy about being here, although he had long since hidden away his assassin's blade and donned regular clothing. The exceptions remained Suho, whose state of freedom was now on the line since he was after all a criminal, and Xiumin. 

“I have to. I'm sorry,” Luhan told him apologetically when he gently nudged Xiumin's hands behind his back to tie them together.

The mage rolled his eyes and sighed, apology not accepted. 

“It's just because we're going into the town. If... if anyone asks what you're doing here, then I need to be able to tell them-”

“You need to be able to tell everyone that you're transporting a deadly apostate mage, and you think that won't worry people?” Xiumin challenged. “Don't tell me this is all just for appearance's sake?”

In a way it was, Luhan knew that. But he also knew that Redcliffe was potentially a nifty place to make a grand escape, and Xiumin unbound could flee in almost any direction and Luhan would never find him again. Also, there were templars stationed here. Luhan couldn't risk any of his fellows seeing him playing nice with a prisoner they literally had a warrant on.

“If we run into any other templars, you are not to speak to them,” said Luhan sternly.

“What? Afraid I'll tell them that we snuggle behind their backs?” 

“I'm telling you not to, because they'll probably just throw you in a caged wagon and you can spend the rest of the trip staring out between bars,” said Luhan, more snarky than he intended. He almost felt ashamed for it, but then Xiumin responded again.

“Ooh, maybe I'd like that better though. At least that way I wouldn't have to walk all the way to the Circle Tower.”

He didn't mean it, those words, Luhan thought surely. There was no way Xiumin would endure sitting in a crate on wheels, chained to the posts like an animal. The mage spoke cockily, but Luhan refused to keep on talking. He let the matter drop without a fuss, and Xiumin did too, and soon they were preparing to enter the town like just another normal templar and his prisoner. 

Right before the gates the dwarf stopped walking and literally began to slow-panic before anybody even realized it.

“What's the matter?” Jongin asked him coldly.

“I... I think I'll just let you guys go on from here,” said Suho with a shaky voice. He actually started to walk backwards, one slow step after another, but then Jongdae slapped him on the back.

“Nonsense! You'll stay with us. Isn't that right?”

“Us?” demanded Chanyeol. “I believe, sir, that our contract with you ended at the gates of Redcliffe.” His politeness was forced, overly enunciated.

“What? Oh come on now. I believe I like you well enough and surely I'm not so much of a bother that we couldn't continue to keep each other company for another day or so? Towns are such lonely places...” he sighed wistfully, cutely. Chanyeol sneered at him.

“You want to hang around us so that when some highborn lords ends up dead in an alleyway and people see you, they'll mistake us for your friend? Absolutely not.”

“I'm not going to kill anyone in Redcliffe!” Jongdae insisted. “You think this town is important enough for people to die in?” He laughed. 

Meanwhile Chanyeol was halfway into a raging fit. “You think this is funny? I would sooner turn you over to the guards the minute we enter the town than spend another day with-”

“Chanyeol.”

Everyone stopped to look at the other warrior, Jongin sighing at them all sadly and not even looking their way. 

“What?” Chanyeol asked.

Jongin turned around, arms crossed before his chest, frowning slightly. “Let him do as he wants. You tell the first guard we see, and two things will happen: First, he's going to disappear like lightning. Second, you'll be the one important enough to die in a town like Redcliffe so... Leave it.” 

Chanyeol looked officially cowed, still bristling underneath at the reprimand, but silent. Luhan couldn't really fault him too much. Being seen in the company of an assassin was dangerous enough if anyone noticed the connection, but then the assassin himself was no laughing matter. They didn't know anything about Jongdae except that he was a skilled fighter and sly as a fox. 

The assassin of course liked this turn of events. He nodded happily at Jongin, and when they started to walk again he actually sidled up next to Jongin and placed his arm around his shoulders. “Have I ever mentioned that I like your attention to tactics? We should talk sometime! Perhaps tonight over a nice hearth fire. Mmm, I could do with some fine ale and a loaf of hot bread.”

On his other side, he continued to nudge Suho along with his arm loosely around his shoulders, and the dwarf walked like a zombie into who knew what doom. Chanyeol and Baekhyun both looked irritated, and that just left Sehun, Xiumin, Luhan and Alistair to make up the rear, each acting calm in their own ways.

It was definitely an improvement, Sehun thought to himself, looking around the room. Out loud, he just said, "Hmph. I guess it'll do."

Their first foray into the town, Jongin had lead them to the inn and contracted a large room on the topmost floor for them to sleep in. It had no beds, but the straw on the grounds along one wall was newly strewn, and there were blankets of all sorts and even a few feather pillows. Sehun immediately commandeered two of them, kicked off his boots and sprawled out. After spending weeks on the road with most of these men, and a good week with even the newcomers, he had no modesty nor fear of looking lowborn. They'd been sleeping in dirt already. 

"At least it's a roof over our heads," Baekhyun noted with mild glee. "Although seriously, Sehun. There are hours yet until dusk. Why are you are sleeping? Don't you want to explore?!"

Sehun huffed, ignoring him as he plumped his pillow, vaguely following in the corner of his eyes how Luhan was leading the mage into the other corner of the loft and finally untying him. There was a strict warning not to try anything funny, to which Xiumin only snorted. Sehun didn't blame him. The mage had done nothing weird at all since they'd entered into Redcliffe. Or really, anything at all this whole trip from what Sehun could tell.

More importantly though to Sehun was Baekhyun's nagging, because he did not want to leave his spot. The elf had been itching to explore the town since the moment they entered the gates, and only Jongin's stern determination that they make finding shelter a priority kept Baekhyun from mapping every nook and cranny, house, shop, stall, and assorted barrel that they passed.

"Just think of the things we're missing..." He was still sniffing now. Sehun refused to acknowledge him. 

"Plenty of time for that later," Jongin told him.

"Not if we're leaving for West Hills in the morning," the elf pouted. "I think I'll just... pop out for a bit on my own."

The warrior sighed. "No," said Jongin, "you won't."

"But-" Baekhyun started to protest.

"I'll go out with you later, if you insist upon it. Will that make you happy?" 

Sehun almost choked on a laugh. Baekhyun's sudden excitement was too much to handle, as was Baekhyun in general. 

Heavy footsteps lumbered up the narrow staircase that breached the landing on the other side of the room. Chanyeol's head was the first thing to appear, and far behind him - or rather, below him - trailed the dwarf still looking miserable. Jongin had promised they'd discuss his future once they had some privacy in the inn, and Sehun was actually more keen than he cared to admit to know what would happen. He hadn't talked much to the dwarf, but Sehun rather liked Suho. He was pleasant, and a good cook, even with the little food they'd had to work with on the road. Maybe, if Jongin didn't have other, grander schemes for him, he could take the dwarf with him to West Hills? Sehun frowned. Perhaps that was too much to contend with though. Suho was, no matter how they looked at it, a sworn member of the Carta... and besides, West Hills probably already had a decent cook. 

Chanyeol looked exhausted, and also very grateful to sit down on a real chair. There were only two in the whole room, both angled around a very rickety, tiny little table. No one took the other seat. Baekhyun was too jittery, Jongin too uptight, Suho too nervous. Luhan was sitting on the floor already next to the mage, so Chanyeol just sighed and propped up his dirty boots on the second chair. Sehun tried not to look too annoyed because, what if he wanted to sit in that chair later?

"Well," said the taller warrior, oblivious to Sehun's partial scowl. "What now? We just rest here until tomorrow? Get some food and start out at first light?"

"That's the plan," Jongin agreed.

"Good!" said Chanyeol. "I could do with a half day to just sit around and- wait!" He paused suddenly, looking around the room in a panic. "Wait a second... where's the - I mean, Jongdae!?"

Everyone else stared around the room, also suddenly noticing his absence. 

"He's gone!" cried Chanyeol suspiciously. At once he turned to the dwarf and glared at him suspiciously, his long legs hitting the ground and he stood, towering over the smaller man, one hand behind his shoulder on the hilt of his greatsword. "He was behind you! Where did he go?! Did he say something? Anything?! Maker's breath, I knew it. He's disappeared and now we're all going to die in the night!"

"Would you calm down?" Jongin pleaded, bored.

"What? Why?" Chanyeol demanded, but already his tone was a shade less touchy. Sehun was almost impressed. 

"It's none of our business what he gets up to. If he's gone, then fine. Why are you worried?" said Jongin.

"He's probably right," Baekhyun agreed. "Hey, now there's more blankets we don't have to share. Let's hope he doesn't come back, huh?"

For the first time ever, Sehun caught a hint of disappointment on Suho's face, before it was erased a moment later. He smirked again, eliciting a sound that drew Baekhyun's attention, but since he had nothing really to say he just shrugged it off. No one paid him any mind, and Sehun was okay with that. They'd made it to Redcliffe and that was farther than Sehun thought he'd make it to in one piece. After weeks on the road with bad food and no hygiene, wolves and bears and bandits, and things following them, things grabbing him... if Sehun wasn't dead yet, he had the Maker and Andraste and every holy thing known to Thedas to thank for preserving his life. A lost assassin who hadn't killed him out on the road when he had every opportunity to do so wasn't nearly worthy of Sehun's concern. They were behind strong walls now with a lake for a second barrier, and West Hills was supposedly only a two days' ride from here.

It would be over soon, this part of his life. He'd meet his father soon and two brothers. He wondered if either of them had died yet, and he kind of hoped they hadn't. Sehun didn't want to be an Arl, not really. Arls had major responsibilities, and if they did something wrong, assassins like Jongdae killed them in the night, or duels happened over stupid matters of honor, or sicknesses were contrived by unnatural means... And when Sehun thought about it all in those terms, suddenly he wanted never to leave this topfloor inn in Redcliffe with the fresh straw and feather pillows. Maybe he should have paid more attention to everything the assassin had been instructing him, wielding daggers. It might actually come in handy one day. He drifted off into a nap recounting the postures and stances and defensive maneuvers that Jongdae had begun to teach him, wishing he could have gotten in a few more lessons. 

CODEX UPDATED:

A letter addressed from the Arl of West Hills, to his loyal servant 'J'.

I hope this reaches you in time. I'm sending it by special courier to Redcliffe so that you may read it before traveling hence. Do not come to West Hills. Illness has taken over nearly everyone in the arling, that seasonal bog fever that so often visits us every few years. My physicians say it is not worse than a great epidemic, and we have lost no more than a couple house servants and half a dozen villagers. I would fear though for my son's life if he were to join us in this state, since the fever is particular to the bogs, and he will have no history of it, no immunity. I have seen travelers, non-natives sucumb to it in a dreadful way. I beg of you not to bring him until the season has passed, even as I long to see the son I've yet to lay eyes upon. I am sure he is a fine man, and you have done well to protect him and bring him this far, but I request that you tarry. I leave a purse of coin with the Chantry sisters in Redcliffe. Please retrieve it in my name, hire more good men, and take my son to his aunt, my precious sister. When the season of sickness is over, I look forward to both of you safely returning in the spring.

Maker's Speed,

'O'

Jongin refolded the letter, jaw closing sternly tight as he returned his focus to the innkeeper whose task it was to pass it to him. He knew the man only by reputation from the few visits he'd made with the Arl to Redcliffe in the past. 

"You said this arrived by courier from West Hills? Three weeks ago?" Jongin made him repeat. 

"That's what the lad said, and when 'e arrived. Said I was to give it to ya when you passed this way. Urgent matter. I did what I was told. You got your letter."

It was unlikely that the man would lie. He'd probably received a packet of coin for his troubles. Travelers always stopped at inns, and so this method of mail delivery wasn't uncommon or unlikely. And still Jongin thought it was odd. The Arl hadn't discussed a back-up plan with Jongin before he left, but then West Hills hadn't been plagued with a serious strain of bog fever in nearly half a decade. Jongin knew well that the vapors could be deadly to those unused to it.  As a child he'd almost died from it. To transport the lord's son and the two other hired escorts could prove disastrous. 

"Has anyone come in from West Hills since this letter?" he pressed.

"'aven't seen a soul. Or if they've come, no one that stopped be 'ere."

"Thank you."

"Not a problem, sir. I thank you..."

The innkeeper stared at him pointedly, and for a moment Jongin didn't know why. Then he recovered, and remembered to take out a small coin, Jongin's end of the bargain in payment for the letter's safe keeping. He was still musing over the curious instructions when sneaky fingers stole the parchment right out of his hands.

"What!" he cried, but it was only Baekhyun.

"Let's see what you got here," said the elf, oblivious to the commotion he was making in the inn. It was already bad enough that his flaming red hair and sharp ears were drawing attention. Now he had to leap a full few body lengths away from Jongin's weak attempts to retrieve the letter. He failed, because Baekhyun was positively twirling to keep it to himself, opening it wide and silently reading the missive.

"Curious," is all he said once done. And then he calmly handed it back. "Bog fever? Is that a thing?"

"It is. And it's dangerous," Jongin informed him in a low tone. "I'd rather we not talk about this here though, please."

Chanyeol was still upstairs watching over Sehun, Luhan and Xiumin were resting. The dwarf was doing who knew what. They'd left him musing in silence when Jongin had gone downstairs, Baekhyun right on his heels. Jongin stuffed the letter between his chest and tunic and lead the way outside. There were a few other places about that he wanted to check in on, some stalls just to see their wares, acquaintances he'd met over the years. And now he just wanted to find anyone who might confirm that West Hills was indeed under lockdown. He didn't particularly want to keep traveling north. The western edge of Lake Calenhad wasn't the smoothest road to travel. So close to the Frostback Mountains, it saw lots of traffic and it was the main road running north-south from Gherlen's Pass, the only route from Ferelden that lead to the western kingdom of Orlais. It was also where the entrance to dwarven Orzammar lay. All of that meant more people on the road, and more merchant vehicles, which meant more bandits, which also meant Carta. 

"It sounds to me like your home is fever-cursed," said Baekhyun out of the blue.

"What?"

"You know. Like in the stories." Baekhyun's voice turned dramatic, tale-worthy. "Every ten years plague descends from the mountains, a witch's curse over spurned love... I don't suppose your Arl was ever engaged once to a beautiful woman who turned hag?"

"You're making up ridiculous stories."

"I know. But it could be plausible. Stranger tales do exist. Take the Brecelian Forest for example. A whole tribe of men - or hunters, rather - cursed by an elven Keeper for overstepping their territories, and all the men were turned into werewolves!"

"Fevers and werewolves aren't exactly the same thing, Baekhyun," sighed Jongin. He was leading the way through the streets, elbowing and jostling for room for them to walk, the elf right behind him in his ear, spouting nonsense.

"Hey, I'm just making conversation." 

"Well, don't. I thought you wanted to explore Redcliffe, so do it. We're exploring."

"You call this exploring? I call this a tourist's path. Don't you know how to get off the beaten track? Alleyways and gardens are where life's at!"

"You mean you just want to rummage through people's trash and find some potatoes to eat?"

Behind him, the elf made a scathing noise, indicating he wasn't amused, or at least that he was pretending not to be amused. He mumbled a while more while Jongin smirked ahead of him unseen, but he did after that begin to take a more winding route through the town, the better to 'explore' it more fully. 

It was on their way down to a dockside blacksmith Jongin wanted to meet when Baekhyun brought up the letter again. 

"Does this mean we go north now?" 

Jongin didn't answer. As far as he knew, no one else in their party had any reason to be suspicious of the events in West Hills. No one knew of the second son's dueling accident, no one knew the third son lay ill from something far worse than bog fever. He'd been barely even conscious the last time Jongin saw him, and that was troubling to him, both personally and professionally as a sworn soldier to the family. For all Baekhyun's talk about fever-curses, the discussion may have hit closer than even Baekhyun suspected. Whether he'd been poisoned or something else like it, no son of the Arl's family was 'safe' from the other branch of title-hungry relatives. Out here in Redcliffe though, Jongin only had one duty and that was to keep Sehun safe and deliver him per his lord's instructions. The letter was an extension of that, and he would have to follow it. 

"Yes. North," he told Baekhyun succinctly.

"The letter was kind of cryptic. Does that mean you know where?"

"Yes, I know where my lord's sister lives. Less than a week's journey. About halfway to Orzammar from here."

"And we'll stay the winter there?" 

"I suppose so. What- what are you doing?"

The elf was undoing his rucksack and scrounging around in it noisily. He'd even stopped walking and made Jongin have to wait. "Nothing. Just checking my purse. I want to see if I have enough coin to contribute to some horses this time, or if I should just save up for winter furs. I wasn't planning to spend a winter under the shadow of the Frostbacks. Do you see this body?" He indicated himself with a pout. "It's tiny! It doesn't like winters. I'll need to bundle up."

"Save your coin for furs then, because we're definitely walking. I'll use the coin the Arl left for us to hire a mercenary to get us there."

Baekhyun stopped what he was doing and looked up sharply. "You want to hire another soldier? Why?"

Jongin frowned. "Because I don't like this particular road. It's dangerous, and we'll be down a few men, a few fighters."

"Oh, that's probably true," said Baekhyun, suddenly thinking this through. "Hey, you don't think Luhan could be persuaded to take the circular route around Lake Calenhad and continue with us?" he joked with a little laugh. 

Jongin joined him with a slight laugh of his own, a sound which evidently confused Baekhyun. The elf seemed to look at him, appreciative of the humor. It was disorienting, to say the least. 

"Come on. Let's finish your exploration of the docks, and then get back to the inn. We'll have a lot to talk about with the others."

Meanwhile, in a shadier part of Redcliffe, outside a shanty leaning up against the town walls, the assassin stood in wait. He leaned against the structure, arms crossed across his chest, one toe digging into the dirt across his other ankle, and his hood was pulled loosely but stealthily over his head. The others hadn't even noticed him disappear, each of them anxious or happy for one reason or another to be in the town finally. Jongdae wondered if they'd let him slip back in just as easily. Probably Chanyeol would resist, but Jongdae could handle him. An assassin of skill like he was wasn't only good with knives and poisons. He had a way with words too. And words were important. He guessed that the figure slipping through the alleyways towards him would agree. 

"Evening," he spoke to the man. "For comes my brother distant."

"For comes my savior soon," was the reply.

Jongdae, satisfied with the line, pushed off from the wall to greet the man properly, a handshake, followed by a hearty hug as the man indicated they step into the shanty. He hunched over the hearth while Jongdae stood in the doorway, and finally pulled up a chair for the assassin to join him.

"Bard Jung, you are looking well. How's life in this rat hole of a town?"

The bard smiled cheekily. "More interesting than you might think." He shook his head, long dark mops of curls springing all over the place, a smile half formed upon his lips. "I keep my eyes and ears open." 

"Are the girls that lovely here?"

"Mmm, some of them are rather pleasant. I have something for you though."

"I was rather hoping you might." Jongdae was pleased, even if a bit surprised, at the change of topic. 

"You doubt my talents?" 

"Doubt your talents? Joon Young, my friend, never... would I ever... presume to doubt you," he play-mocked, eyes feasting mostly on the letter his colleague was already pulling from the inside of his instrument case. 

Joon Young held it up, waving the paper slightly, taunting Jongdae with its existence. "I expect due compensation now... but this I snagged off a courier from West Hills just last week. Hardly a courier actually, more like a kitchen wench on a super secret mission." He brought a finger across his lips and hushed dramatically. 

"Candy from a baby?" asked Jongdae.

"Even easier. Give me twice what I paid him - although, incidentally, it was a coin so badly scoffed he wouldn't even know it was only a rock - and you may have it."

"How about we drop the matter of coin and trade in secrets? How about it: one piece of paper for some juicy tales out of Denerim?"

They bargained for a while longer, and in the end, the bard left happily with more secrets to sell, and Jongdae left, a man a little bit wiser than he was before. He strolled unhurriedly back through Redcliffe, deciding to give his new friends a few more hours before he graced them with his presence once more, and from there he'd make his next plan of action. Before that, however, he'd drown the letter in the lake and leave it to the fishes.

CODEX UPDATED: 

A letter written in a shaky hand addressed to 'J' by 'J'

My friend, surely you have received my brother's letter about the bog fever, begging you not to return yet. Does this surprise you? It was not my father's hand at all, and there is no fever. I worry you will not come home, and whatever diversion Junsu takes you on will lead to a worse danger. Return, please! I beg of you. My brother recovers more and more each day from his wounds, and already schemes to keep his place as heir. He is worse now than our cousins, because his mind is turned to suspicion. He sees assassins in every corner. He doesn't trust father, he doesn't trust me, he doesn't trust the reason our father has sent for our half-brother. Jongin, I trust you know my heart and that I would never take by force something that is not mine. He may keep his titles, but I need you at my side! I am weakened still. This ailment, affliction, whatever it is refuses to be cured, and yet I linger. It will not beat me. Hurry back, and we may all fight this together. 

Your beloved friend,

Jaejoong

4,450 words

Oh my, so what's going on here? Anyone want to guess? How do you ike my cameos? 

Sorry for the lack in Xiuhan in this chapter. (I promise big things in the next one though!) Anyways, loads of interactions along with my burgeoning plot. Btw, Baekhyun is totally me whenever I visit a new place in a game. Scour everything! Absolutely everything! But it seems Jongdae knows more places than he does. And people ;)

Until next time,

♡ Rosie